A blog by a werewolf. Topics include werewolves, fantasy and horror fiction, therianthropy, spirituality, myths and legends, some reviews, cryptids, the unknown, wild animals and science. IMPORTANT note: This blog uses cookies.

Divider

Monday, 9 June 2014

Valkyrie Göndul

Goldul is a dark Valkyrie who carries with her, a magic wand in the shape of a powerful crystal torc. Associated with sorcery, Gondul is one of the valkyries that was feared by ordinary men, women and children.

Her name is linked to the old Norse root gandr that means "magical wand" and "magic charm". Some people dabbling in the occult used to summon Gondul to help assist forming spells and curses. But doing this was often fateful, dangerous and even led to those people being tried for witchcraft.

When Gondul appeared on the battlefield ready to take a fallen warrior to Valhalla, she sometimes failed because the souls of warriors fled. Gondul would humiliate the dead and refuse to help them sit on her horse.

Gondul is a beautiful Valkyrie maiden, whose hair is apple blossom white, and her eyes are silver. She has been known to seduce mortal men and uses her sensuality to manipulate and win the hearts of powerful kings. She was said to have created a war just by bedding two different kings and turning them against one another. Why she did this is not understood or even clear as there are fragmented writings about Godrun. Piecing it all together makes little sense. It just makes her look like a bad mannered Valkyrie.

Linked with sorcery and seduction, cruelty and rebellion, this Valkyrie never betrays the gods. She simply doesn't like mortals very much. Or the ancient texts, poems and stories echo the premitive Valkyrie through Gondul, and anything to do with the Old Ways and so spiritual beings were demonised.

I don't personally take these things too literally. The Valkyries, all, were a type of Northern celestial nymphs that are a part of nature, and help calm the dead warriors so that they settle across peacefully, not through rage. Gondul is, in writings almost anti-clockwise but perhaps she only represents death itself, as angels and the Grim Reaper. Valkyries have been a personification of death for thousands of years, when they're also fantasy figures of women in armour to make the entry to death from a battle feel serene.

In Greek mythology, Keres were maidens of death. Daughters of Nyx, goddess of night, they resembled shadowy female vampire ghosts who drank blood and ate flesh. Their names "Keres" and "Valkyrie" both mean "choosers of the slain". The Valkyries were beautiful and supposedly loving and warm hearted, but doing deeper work you'll find that some valkyries are quite selfish and emotional. Gondul as a mythical character certainly seems that way. Some have found that her name means "werewolf" as she is associated with magic and the occult.